Ricoh WG-60 rugged camera officially announced

The Ricoh WG-60 rugged camera is now officially announced. Check Adorama and B&H for pricing and availability. Here is the full press release:

Digital compact camera for underwater photography down to 14 metres, with waterproof, shockproof performance; available in two colours

London, 24 October 2018 －RICOH IMAGING EUROPE S.A.S. is pleased to announce the launch of the RICOH WG-60 digital camera. This new model features a compact, lightweight body design, with exceptional waterproof and shockproof performance.

The superb waterproof design of the WG-60 means the user can easily take pictures outdoors with confidence. Despite a compact lightweight body, the outstanding specifications of the WG-60 means that it outperforms ordinary digital cameras and smartphones in demanding outdoor conditions. It is waterproof to a depth of 14 metres, shockproof against a fall from a height of 1.6 metres and freeze-proof down to temperatures as low as -10°C. It also comes equipped with an outdoor-friendly LCD monitor so you can instantly adjust its brightness to the lighting level in a particular shooting situation.

Main Features

1. Heavy-duty construction for underwater shooting down to 14 metres, for up to two hours.
Featuring a solid, airtight body waterproof down to a depth of 14 metres for up to two hours of continuous operation (equivalent to IPX 8 or JIS Class 8). Shockproof against falls from a height of 1.6 metres,* dustproof (equivalent to IPX 6 or JIS Class 6), freeze-proof to temperatures as low as -10°C, and crush-proof against weights up to 100kgf (kilogram force). ** Its heavy-duty construction ensures that the WG-60 performs superbly and dependably even in harsh, demanding outdoor conditions.
* Measured under RICOH IMAGING-original testing standards — from a height of 1.6 metres, onto a surface of 5cm-thick plywood — conforming to Method 516.5-Shock of the MIL-Standard 810F.
** Measured under RICOH IMAGING-original testing standards.

2. Exceptional image quality

The WG-60 comes equipped with a back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, which delivers excellent high-sensitivity and low-noise characteristics and high-speed read-out of image data signals. Coupled with a high-performance imaging engine, this image sensor delivers a top sensitivity of ISO 6400 and super-high-resolution images with approximately 16.0 effective megapixels. This model also provides advanced image processing functions, made possible by the latest super-resolution technology for sharp, clear, high-resolution images. It also offers such innovative features as Handheld Night Snap mode, which automatically captures several images of the same nighttime scene to produce a single, blur-free composite image.

3. 5X optical zoom lens with a 28mm wide-angle coverage

The WG-60 features a high-performance, five-times optical zoom lens with a focal-length coverage from 5mm to 25mm (equivalent to approx. 28mm to 140mm in the 35mm format) to accommodate a wide range of scenes and subjects, including landscapes. It also provides other convenient shooting functions, such as macro mode to capture dramatic close-up images from a minimum focusing distance of a mere one centimetre. An Intelligent Zoom function extends the zoom range to approximately 36 times (equivalent to 1008mm in the 35mm format) without compromising image quality, for superior telephoto photography and an interval-shooting mode, which comes in handy for fixed-point observation.

4. Six Macro Lights to assist close-up shooting, and a Self-Portrait Assist mode

By selecting the Digital Microscope mode, six LED Macro Lights ideally positioned around the circumference of the lens barrel for macro shooting, allow the WG-60 to provide bright, uniform illumination on a subject. ***The Macro Lights enable the user to clearly see a magnified view of the microscopic world undetectable by the naked eye on the camera’s LCD monitor, and effortlessly capture eye-catching close-up images. In order to minimize camera and subject shake, the Instant Illumination Enhance function allows the use of a higher shutter speed by automatically raising the discharge level of the Macro Lights at the moment of shutter release. The Macro Lights also provide other useful functions, such as a Self-Portrait Assist mode, which uses the blink of an LED lamp to check if the subject’s face is captured within the picture frame, and the LED Lighting mode, which uses the Macro Lights as a lighting device in the dark.
*** When this mode is selected, the image size is fixed at 2.0 megapixels (at 16:9 proportions).

5. Underwater shooting mode

Specifically designed for underwater photography, the Underwater and Underwater Movie shooting modes optimize colour and contrast, based on the data of images actually captured under the water. These modes deliver sharp, true-to-life images by enhancing shades of red, which are lost in underwater photography, while effectively compensating for the loss of contrast caused by the diffusion of light in water. During Underwater mode, the Flash Off + Flash On option, allows the user to capture two images consecutively — with a single shutter release — one without flash and another with flash.

The WG-60 provides Full HD movie recording employing the H.264 recording format. Users can capture high quality extended movie clips (1920 x 1080 pixels, 16:9 proportions) at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. To add some creative touches to movie recording, it also features a high-speed camera function**** for slow motion playback of captured movie clips and an interval movie function. A micro-HDMI terminal (Type D) is also on the camera body for simultaneous output of Full HD movie clips and sound to external audio-visual devices.
**** When this function is selected, the recorded size is fixed at 1280 x 720 pixels.

(2) Digital SR mode
When the camera detects low-lighting conditions in still-image shooting, this mode automatically raises the sensitivity up to as high as ISO 6400, making it possible to use a higher shutter speed and effectively minimize the adverse effects of camera shake and subject shake when dealing with poor lighting conditions.

The WG-60 comes equipped 2.7-inch LCD monitor with horizontally extended 16:9 proportions and approximately 230,000 dots. The monitor’s AR (Anti-Reflection) coating minimizes annoying glare and reflections for a sharp, clear on-screen image even in bright sunshine during outdoor shooting. It also comes equipped with such convenient features such as the Outdoor View Setting mode, which easily sets the optimum monitor brightness level for a given lighting situation.

9. Other features

· A range of WG-series mount accessories (optional) to accommodate a range of shooting situations
· Compatibility with FlashAirTM wireless LAN SD memory cards
· Two remote control receptors (one in front and another in the back) to widen signal coverage
· Macro stand (included) to maintain a minimum focusing distance of one centimetre to the subject during extended observation and shooting of macro images
· High-speed Face Detection function to capture as many as 32 faces in focus in approximately 0.03 seconds (minimum); Smile Capture function to automatically release the shutter when the subject’s smile is detected
· Outdoor-friendly Style Watch function to display the time on the LCD monitor, using an extended push of the OK button when the camera’s power is turned off
· Delay-free, push button start of the playback mode, using an extended push of the playback button
· Auto Picture mode to automatically select the most appropriate shooting mode from 16 different scene modes
· A choice of 12 digital filters